Patent — available for licensing
Reconfigurable Local Oscillator for Coherent Optical Detection
A NASA invention available to explore as a licensing opportunity.
About this technology
Overview
Current coherent optical receivers use fixed local oscillators (LOs), and the characteristics of LOs, such as frequency, polarization, or spatial mode, determine which incoming signals can be detected. These constraints reduce sensitivity and restrict the range of detectable signals. Signals that fall outside the receiver’s bandwidth or have mismatched polarization may not be detected. This challenge is especially relevant to NASA’s Navigation Doppler LiDAR, where signals from fast or distant targets can fall outside the receiver’s range or become difficult to detect due to low-frequency noise. To overcome these limitations, researchers at NASA’s Langley Research Center have developed the Reconfigurable Local Oscillator for Coherent Optical Detection. This innovative technology can be applied to LiDAR, fiber-optic sensing, and optical communications . By enabling real-time adjustment of an LO’s properties, the system can dynamically match incoming signal characteristics, enhancing signal recovery, improving sensitivity, and increasing adaptability across a wide range of operating conditions.